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Friday, June 22, 2012

Holiday House Down Under

One thing I've learned from perusing Australian ski houses is that the majority of them have sleek and modern styling. This down-under ski house however, while sleek in some ways (especially the bedroom/bathrooms) is one that offers a few more cozy and comfortable features than many others in the area. The Ski House of the Day is a mountain chalet called Wareen Holiday House in (Crackenback) Jindabyne, New South Wales, Australia. Near the Snowy Mountain Range, it's on the Alpine Way with nearby access to skiing at Perisher (and Thredbo a little farther away).

The open-concept ski house has a massive stone fireplace centered on a wall of windows in the living room (or "lounge" as it's called down-under); this combined with the skier-friendly furniture creates a warm and comfortable gathering spot:

Interestingly, there's another fireplace, actually a cozy wood-stove (or "slow-combustion fireplace" as the rental agent calls it) on the opposite wall, near the kitchen...making this a truly warm room in more ways than one:

The nicely vaulted ceilings continue into the kitchen which is bright and open to the "lounge" (living room):

This house is set up for apres-ski fun with a pool table within view of that large fireplace:

Sleek but comfortable-looking, this bedroom (one of the four+ bedrooms in the house) seems so very tranquil:

The nearest skiing is at Australia's (self-proclaimed) most popular snow-holiday destination, Perisher. On national park land, Perisher is huge with seven peaks (summit elevation 2054 m), 47 lifts, several base villages, and more trails than they wish to count. But what really intrigues me is the method of access to the ski area from here.

The preferred way to get to Perisher is not to drive up the access road (which apparently is extremely limited), but rather to take the Ski Tube, an electric "rack" (cog) railway that travels mostly underground! (So, I guess you could say that you get to ride "down-under" the mountain before you get to ride up on it). Anyway, this ski house is just 5 minutes from the Ski Tube. Opened in the late 1980's, the Swiss-designed Ski Tube whisks skiers from the valley up to the ski area in just about 15 minutes or so. I find this to be an interesting and most unique way to start a ski day! Here's a look at the trip from the valley to Perisher on the Ski Tube. The Ski Tube runs from 5 am til 1 am, so skiers can get there for first tracks, and stay for apres-ski on the mountain. And here's a mesmerizing close-up of the inside of the Ski Tube tunnel on the downhill return trip. Now that's down-under.